Skip to main content

Table 1 Description of the general characteristics of the mothers, preterm newborns (PTNB) and full-term newborns (FTNB)

From: Vitamin D plasma concentrations in pregnant women and their preterm newborns

Variables

PTNB Group

FTNB Group

p-value

N = 66

N = 92

 

Characteristics of the mothers

 Age (n = 158)

Years

26.0 ± 7.3

26.03 ± 6.8

0.987a

 Ethnicity (n = 158)

White

18 (27.3%)

35 (38.0%)

0.151b

Black

6 (9.1%)

3 (3.3%)

 

Mixed ethnicity

42 (63.6%)

54 (58.7%)

 

 Schooling (n = 150)

<  4 years

5 (8.5%)

2 (2.2%)

0.194b

4 to 8 years

50 (84.7%)

81 (89.0%)

 

>  8 years

4 (6.8%)

8 (8.8%)

 

 Number of pregnancies (n = 158)

Number

2.2 ± 1.5

2.3 ± 1.5

0.761a

 Alcohol use (n = 158)

Yes

5 (7.6%)

4 (4.3%)

0.492b

 Tobacco use (n = 158)

Yes

13 (19.7%)

10 (10.9%)

0.169b

 Vitamin D Suplementation (n = 158)

Yes

6 (9.1%)

5 (5.4%)

0.528b

 Folic Acid (n = 158)

Yes

46 (70.8%)

92 (87.6%)

0.038b

 Iron (n = 158)

Yes

50 (75.8%)

76 (82.6%)

0.320b

 Frequent use of sunscreen (n = 158)

Yes

9 (13.6%)

23 (25.0%)

0.108b

 Regular exposure to sunlight (n = 158)

Yes

5 (7.6%)

54 (58.7%)

<  0.001b

 Pregnancy-induced illness (n = 158)

Hypertension

27 (40.9%)

14 (15.2%)

<  0.001b

Gestational diabetes

3 (4.5%)

2 (2.2%)

0.650b

Urinary tract infection

14 (21.2%)

32 (34.8%)

0.077b

 Prenatal care (n = 158)

Yes (>  6 check-ups)

12 (18.2%)

71 (78.3%)

<  0.001b

Yes (<  6 check-ups)

42 (63.6%)

16 (17.4%)

 

No (no check-ups)

12 (18.2%)

4 (4.3%)

 

 Pre-pregnancy BMI (n = 116)

>  30 kg/m2

6 (19.4%)

19 (22.4%)

0.905b

25 to 29.9 kg/m2

8 (25.8%)

22 (25.9%)

 

18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2

16 (51.6%)

39 (45.9%)

 

<  18.5 kg/m2

1 (3.2%)

5 (5.9%)

 

 Pregnancy weight gain

High

18 (58.1%)

55 (65.5%)

0.720b

Adequate

7 (22.4%)

14 (16.7%)

 

Low

6 (19.4%)

15 (17.9%)

 

 Season (n = 158)

Spring

14 (21.2%)

48 (52.2%)

<  0.001b

Summer

24 (36.4%)

44 (47.8%)

 

Fall

16 (24.2%)

0 (0.0%)

 

Winter

12 (18.2%)

0 (0.0%)

 

Newborn Characteristics

 Gender (n = 158)

Male

35 (53.0%)

50 (54.3%)

0.727b

 Type of birth (n = 158)

Vaginal

17 (25.8%)

48 (52.2%)

0.001b

 Gestational Age (n = 158)

Weeks

29.8 ± 2.4

39.3 ± 1.2

<  0.001a

 Birth weight (n = 158)

Grams

1250 ± 354.6

3317 ± 449.4

<  0.001a

 Size for gestational age (n = 158)

Small for GA

14 (21.2%)

0.0 (0.0%)

<  0.001b

Adequate for GA

47 (71.2%)

83 (90.2%)

 

Large for GA

5 (7.6%)

9 (9.8%)

 
  1. aAverage and standard deviation. Level of significance of Student’s t-test
  2. bNumber (percentage). Level of significance of the chi-squared test